


Collide

by hockeylvr59 (gleefanatic)



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-08
Updated: 2020-06-27
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:50:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22167655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gleefanatic/pseuds/hockeylvr59
Summary: Life as a single foster mom and a pediatrician didn’t leave much time for dating. But when Dr. Erin Lancaster becomes the pediatrician for Pittsburgh Penguins Defenseman Brian Dumoulin’s baby boy, her association and quick friendship with his wife Kayla turns her crazy but quiet life upside down.
Relationships: Sidney Crosby/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 27





	1. Chapter 1

It wasn’t even two pm yet and already I was beginning to feel myself start to drag as fatigue set in. My morning had been full of annual checkups and with a touch of the flu going around as kids started back to school, I’d taken a half dozen additional sick visits, making my already crammed schedule overflow. I’d worked through lunch, promising my nurses that I’d bring coffee the following morning since they hadn’t had a chance to take a break either. 

With only a few appointments remaining in the day, I moved to check in with Alexandra at the front desk and with a smile she pointed at a couple sitting in the waiting room, no child in sight. 

“Your next appointment is merely a consult for a couple looking to find a pediatrician for their new little one. Apparently they’ve heard good things about you and just wanted to meet you before the baby arrives.” Nodding at her, I gathered up the stack of folders that were awaiting my attention. 

“Thanks, Alex. I’ve got it. Take a few minutes to relax.” Stepping out into the waiting room I smiled, glancing down at the names listed on the post-it Alex had stuck to the top of the stack in my arms. 

“Kayla and Brian?” I questioned voice soft as I reached a hand out to shake both of the expectant parents introducing myself. “Dr. Erin Lancaster. Come on back to my office and we can chat for a bit. We have more patients coming in soon so this will give us some privacy.” 

Privacy was crucial in the medical field in general but even more so when a high profiled patient walked through the doors. It wasn’t every day that a Pittsburgh Penguin and his wife sought me out as the doctor for their first child after all. Seeing as I had only been on my own for about a year and a half after spending a year in a larger practice, this was actually a first. 

After discussing a little bit about what they were looking for in a pediatrician and the services that my office provided for new parents we discussed the baby’s due date and the standard of what usually happened on the pediatrician’s end once a baby was born. I could tell that they were nervous and did my best to explain everything as simply as I could, insisting that they ask whatever questions they may have. 

“If you don’t mind me asking…” Kayla began, her hand rubbing over her baby bump. “You seem like you understand what’s going on both as a doctor and as a mom…do you have kids?” 

Tucking a strand of my dark hair back behind my ear, I shook my head. 

“I don’t have any biological children no. But I am a foster mom. Right now I have two crazy boys, five and seven and they keep me on my toes.” It was clear that wasn’t the answer they expected because a curious expression overtook their faces. 

“What made you become a foster parent?” Brian asked and after parsing your words for a moment you smiled. 

“It was a combination of a lot of things but my residency had a lot to do with it. There are so many children, especially with the opioid crisis that are suddenly without homes, their parents have succumbed to addiction and these kids don’t deserve that kind of life. They deserve a stable home, parents who help them with their schoolwork, a hot meal, and a warm bed to sleep in every night. If I can provide that…even for a little bit, I feel like I’m making a difference on the world.” 

Kayla asked a few more questions about infant vaccinations, development milestones as well as my thoughts on breastfeeding. It was clear that she had done a lot of research and was trying to gather as many opinions on parenting as she could to weigh what was going to be best for her and for the little boy they were expecting in just a few weeks. As I was looking at the clock to see how I was doing on time, in which I had a few more minutes to answer any other questions they may have, Brian’s phone rang and he apologized before stepping into the hall to take a call. 

Chatting with Kayla alone, I assured her that I would love to be their baby’s physician if they so chose and instructed her to grab a packet of new patient paperwork from the front desk just in case. I didn’t like forcing myself on parents of potential patients but I had a feeling that this wouldn’t be the last time I would be seeing the Dumoulin’s. Just as I was reaching out a hand to help her out of the office chair Brian came back through the door, a look of distress on his face. 

“Hey babe…we have to get going. I’m sorry to cut things short Dr. Lancaster but we’ll be in touch.” His hand fell to his wife’s back rubbing gently. 

“It’s not a problem at all. Take care and if I don’t see you again, good luck this season.” With a wave of acknowledgment, Brian guided his wife out of my office and into the hall. 

A minute or two later I moved to check in with Alex on our next patient and as I turned the corner I could hear Brian’s voice whispering. Kayla must have needed to use the restroom because I had expected them to be gone by now. I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop but I couldn’t help but hear him speaking in a frantic tone. 

“I don’t know what the hell happened but apparently Sid got home from Media Days in Chicago and all of Kathy’s things were gone. We need to get over there because Tanger says he’s a wreck.” 

Anyone living in the city of Pittsburgh knew that Sidney Crosby valued his privacy and I couldn’t help but feel slightly guilty that I’d overheard personal information like that. The fact that his longterm relationship had apparently fallen to pieces right before the start of the new season was none of my or anyone else’s business and I tried to push it out of my mind, returning my attention to the chart of my next patient. 

I thought about making myself another cup of coffee before seeing any more patients but at this point, coffee wasn’t going to cut it. Today had been so strange and off the wall that I was going to need to put the kids to bed tonight and then settle down with a big glass of wine. Or two…

Life as a Doctor was certainly never dull…


	2. Chapter 1

Though my initial meeting with the Dumoulin’s had gone well in my mind, I was still somewhat surprised to step into the office a week later to find Alex practically bouncing off the walls. Taking a sip out of my coffee mug I merely raised an eyebrow at her, an inquisitive look spreading across my face. 

“Don’t get me wrong…I know you’re an incredible doctor but this…this is huge and I don’t know how you did it!” She exclaimed, handing me a stack of papers. Glancing down at them revealed a completed new patient packet, sans baby’s first name, for the Dumoulin’s pending arrival and though mentally my jaw dropped, I outwardly brushed it off, pretending that it wasn’t nearly as big of a deal as it actually was. 

“It’s just another patient Alex.” I reminded her. “He’ll receive the same care as every other patient.” Shaking her head, Alex rolled her eyes at me knowing exactly what I was doing. As I turned on my heel to retreat to my office for twenty minutes of paperwork before our first patient I couldn’t help but smile. “Let the rest of the nurses know they can wear penguins shirts for the home opener.” Her laugh followed me down the hallway and once inside my office I took a moment to bask in scoring my first VIP patient. This could do wonders for my practice moving forward. 

___

That was the last time I’d really thought about having a Pittsburgh Penguin baby as a patient. At the office, I had too many other patients to worry about. At home, I had a five-year-old who had started school for the first time and a seven-year-old who was struggling with math. I was balancing work, helping them with school, and making sure that they had time to do kid things like attending karate and swim lessons, not to mention play dates with other kids. Time was moving faster than I could keep up with but at the same time, I prayed for it to slow down. Life as a foster mom meant that I needed to cherish every moment with these crazy boys because I knew that sooner or later they would likely be leaving my care. And that was a whole bundle of emotions that I would never fully be able to handle no matter how many times it happened. 

Before I knew it, it was already November. Today was supposed to be my afternoon off, yet I found myself headed downtown to Magee Women’s Hospital. 

After checking in at the front desk, I clipped my visitor’s pass onto my blouse and followed the familiar path up to the NICU. Once there I was greeted by one of the nurses I’d gotten to know from the various times I’d been here before. After gowning up, I stepped inside and she led me over to a bassinet containing a tiny baby boy. He was still hooked up to a variety of wires and tubes, his skin was mottled, and his body tremored. Looking down at him, the maternal side of me teared up. No child deserved to enter the world in this kind of pain. Reaching down, I brushed a finger over his head before trailing it down his arm to his hand. Immediately he wrapped his fist around my finger and held on tight. 

“He’s a fighter.” The nurse murmured over my shoulder. “We honestly weren’t sure he was going to pull through but I’d say for the most part he’s out of the woods now.” Nodding I just watched him for a few more minutes before switching back to a more professional mode. 

“Tell me about his history. Everything I need to know.” I expressed. As his nurse told me about the methadone injections he was receiving but would likely need even after he left the hospital and how his condition had been steadily improving, I listened carefully, figuring out the best plan for once he was released into my care. Brushing my fingers over the baby’s head once more, I eventually made my way out of the NICU, tossing the scrubs. It would likely be another week or so before he was ready to be released but once he was, he would be coming home with me for the foreseeable future so that he could continue to have expert care while residing in a home setting. 

Checking my watch revealed that I had another hour and a half or so before I needed to pick my boys up from their various activities. As I debated what to do with that time, I fixed my hair into a fresh ponytail before moving to pull my phone from the pocket of my jeans. 

“Dr. Lancaster?!” Glancing up, I saw that it was one of the nurses in the maternity ward that had called my name. Moving over to the nurses’ station I smiled at her, leaning against the counter. 

“Yes?” I inquired. 

“Oh good, that is you.” The young nurse murmured softly. “Melinda said you were down in the NICU…” She explained. “I was looking through the paperwork for one of our newborns and I noticed you were the pediatrician of record. Just thought I’d give you a heads up.” She expanded. “They’re down in room 314 if you wanted to pop in and say hello.” Before she had even finished speaking she was dashing off down the hall in the opposite direction as a scream sounded from one of the delivery rooms. 

For a moment I stood frozen, honestly racking my brain trying to figure out what patient she was talking about. Then I started off in the direction of 314, deciding that I would just have to wait and see. It wasn’t until I noticed that this wing of the maternity ward was nearly empty that the most likely possibility clicked. Clearly keeping track of due dates was not my strongest skill…generally because I usually didn’t need to. 

Approaching the room I heard soft voices speaking and I gently knocked before popping my head in. Immediately my eyes met the sight of Brian perched on the bed over his wife, newborn in her arms. 

“Are you up for visitors?” I whispered. “I won’t stay long, I was just in the building and a little birdie told me you were here so I thought I’d stop by.” 

Kayla’s voice was soft and tired but she quickly nodded. “Of course. Come in, come in.” She insisted. Stepping into the room I shut the door behind me and moved quietly across the room. 

“How are you feeling?” I asked her. “Everything go fairly smoothly?” 

“Sore. Tired.” She declared. “But he’s here and we’re both healthy so I’d say it went okay.” 

“Good.” I murmured. Before I could say anything else, another knock sounded at the door and another head popped in. This time, Brian moved to stand up and as a body came through the door, I watched as the two of them hugged each other, arms moving around the flowers in the new visitor’s hand. It wasn’t until they pulled away that I realized who this visitor was and immediately my throat went dry. 

“Hey, Sid.” Kayla breathed, shifting the baby a bit in her arms. 

“These are for you. The team sends their love and congratulations.” He responded, moving over to give her a quick half-hug as well. It was only then that he noticed he wasn’t the only visitor in the room and paused. 

“Sid, this is our pediatrician Dr. Lancaster. Dr. Lancaster, this is Sid.” Brian introduced. Suddenly a warm hand was reaching out to me in greeting and I took it, frantically trying to pull myself back together. Meeting Brian was one thing, meeting Sidney Crosby…that was another entirely. 

“Nice to meet you,” Sid said, his voice familiar but yet different at the same time. 

“The pleasure is all mine. But it’s just Erin.” I replied, taking a deep breath before turning back to Kayla and the baby. “Do you mind if I look at his chart?” I questioned, professional curiosity filling me. Of course, it was only a matter of time before these records were sent to me anyway, but with a nod from Kayla, I reached for his chart beside the bassinet, looking over his APGAR scores and the nurse’s notes. Nodding to myself for a moment, I set it back down and smiled. 

“Sounds like you’ve got a strong, healthy little boy there.” I declared. Parental pride filled both Kayla and Brian’s faces at the compliment. 

“Do you want to hold him?” Kayla asked, and never one to turn down having a baby in my arms I quickly agreed, gently shifting him to cradle against my chest. Looking between him and both Kayla and Brian I tried to determine who he looked the most like right now and when I expressed that he had Brian’s nose they both laughed. 

“Have you guys picked a name?” Sid inquired from his spot leaning against the foot of the bed. Brian quickly nodded, glancing down at his wife before sharing. 

“Brayden Joseph.” Glancing down at the baby in my arms I immediately decided that the name suited him and murmured softly to him in greeting, introducing myself as his doctor and expressing that I didn’t expect him to like me at first because of the required shots to keep him healthy. This time, when I looked up from talking softly to the baby Kayla and Brian were sharing a soft look as he whispered in her ear and I could feel Sid’s gaze on me. Meeting his eyes I saw warmth but also a lingering sadness and I quickly drew my bottom lip between my teeth as I broke the gaze suddenly feeling like I had a stomach full of molasses. 

“So Dr. Lancaster…” Sid addressed. “Do you make hospital visits to all of your new patients?” I couldn’t tell by the tone of his voice what he was thinking or why he had asked. It wasn’t quite accusatory but at the same time, there was a tenseness to it. Deciding that I just didn’t know him and therefore shouldn’t read into it, I shrugged softly. 

“Only when I happen to already be in the building.” 

“Yeah, you mentioned that….everything okay?” Brian jumped in. 

“Of course. I was here in a semi-professional manner.” I explained. “I needed to stop down at the NICU to meet a baby that I’ll be fostering when he’s released so that I could figure out what I need and discuss the best care plan.” 

“Dr. Lancaster…Erin…” Kayla quickly corrected, nodding at me for my approval. “In addition to being an incredible doctor, is also a foster parent, Sid.” There was an underlying current of unspoken communication going on between the three of them, one that I wasn’t going to pry into. 

“So you’ll have a newborn at home in addition to the other two?” Kayla asked as Brayden started fussing causing me to hand him back to his mom. 

“Lord help me but yes.” I breathed, chuckling softly. “I’ll have three boys. Two rambunctious ones that keep me on my toes and then this new baby which might be the hardest to deal with of all three. I love when I get babies into my care but hate when it’s because they were born with opiate addiction and need specialized care just to stand a chance.” Both Kayla and Brian’s eyes went wide and I shoved my right hand into the front pocket of my jeans. “I’m not gonna lie, he’s still in rough shape but the nurses think he’s out of the woods now. It always breaks my heart seeing them that way though. Knowing I’m going to have to give him daily injections for at least a few more weeks to help his body slowly withdraw from the drugs he’s been exposed to.” 

“Wow.” This time the voice came from Sid and I nodded glancing over at him. 

“It breaks my heart but I’ll do it again and again because I know that my experience and ability to provide elevated care and monitoring gives him the best chance moving forward.” 

The mood in the room had taken a turn for the serious and I let out a deep breath before pasting a smile back on my face. 

“It makes me even more grateful though for all of my patients that have fantastic momma’s and who are healthy and strong.” I tease, my words thankfully bringing a smile back to Kayla’s face and then Brian’s along with his wife’s. 

Feeling my phone buzz in my pocket, I glance at my watch again and mumble a curse. 

“And this was already longer than the short visit I promised, but I have to get going, I’ve got a seven-year-old to pick up from karate and then I have to make dinner for him and the five-year-old being dropped off from a play date.” 

“Thank you for stopping by.” Brian declared, moving over to shake my hand. 

“Of course. I’ll see you guys soon.” I promised. Still, there was something about the look on Kayla’s face that made me pause though I did need to leave. “Hey, Brian…grab your phone.” Once he had, I rattled off my cell phone number. “If you guys have any questions, concerns, etc. Things that you think it would be too silly to call the office over, text or call me. I know first-time parenthood isn’t easy but you’re gonna be great.” 

As I headed for the door, I turned for just a moment. 

“And it was nice to meet you, Sid.” 

It wasn’t until both boys were tucked into bed and I was settled into my own trying to get my mind to shut down so I could sleep that the encounter with Sid entered my mind once more. It wasn’t something I could wrap my mind around, his behavior struck me for reasons I couldn’t explain but at the same time, I couldn’t get the feeling of his hand in my own or the swirling shades of his eyes out of my head. It was a level of confusion I just didn’t have the mental capacity to deal with so I brushed it aside, refocusing my brain on all of the things I needed to get done tomorrow. 

**Outfit Inspiration:**


End file.
